Covenantal Worship: Reconsidering the Puritan Regulative Principle
R.J.Gore Jr
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...f=pd_bbs_1/102-8502438-2478522?_encoding=UTF8
part of the reading for the worship sunday school class. notes for that class are kept at:
http://www.rinconmountainpca.com/worshipclassnotes.html
i have perhaps 10 books in hand on the topic. hope to get through all of them in the next 2 months.
I come to the book as part of a sunday school class on worship, it is perhaps the 2nd or 3rd book i've read on the topic, with several more to follow in the next few months.
To put it into a growing perspective: it is a little to the left of J.Frame's Worship in Spirit and Truth as Gore is willing to say discard RPW. It is a lightening rod, as is Frame, for the more traditionalist side to say that the conservatives are loosing their understanding of worship and are becoming the great hated liberals for doing so. All the name calling i've seen so far has been from the traditionalist side. This book is a straightforward investigation that looks at both the historical and Biblical evidence for worship.
notes since i currently don't own the book and this is the second read through:
the important pull quotes and reading notes:
introduction: the long and winding road
confusion comes from the absence of a consensus, the lack of a coherent theology of worship that is based upon certain bedrock, widely accepted principles. pg 1
in his first pastorate, not one elder in our session-pastor included- could give a thorough explantaion for why we did what we did, why we left out certain expressions of worship, or why we placed the selected particulars in the prescribed order pg 3
during graduate studies at Westminster he discovered: the Puritan regulative principle of worship seemed to cut the Gordian knot in matters of worship. Rather than endless discussions about right and wrong, Puritans simply banned everything that did not have explicit biblical warrant. Anything that was not commanded, or logically based on a command, Scripture did not allow. That certainly ended the guesswork. pg 3
chapter 1 : doing your own thing
5 different approaches to worship:
pragmatic: if it works it is allowed
ecclesial: RC, what the church says is correct is allowed
lutheran: what is not prohibited is allowed
reformed: whatever is consistent with covenantal faithfulness is allowed
puritan: whatever is not commanded is forbidden
this principle affirms that what exist on the popular level, as an expression of piety, often works its way into more formal statements of belief.
for some, it is enough that such songs communicate well with young people. the more profound argument that encourages the use of Scripture songs on biblical grounds is not thoroughly pondered. ... Finally, there are congregations that seek to maintain their theological integrity while exploring the possibilities of vibrant, creative worship. They pursue this goal with the intential awareness of their surrounding culture. Here a genuine desire to understand the principles regulating biblical worship is coupled with an equally intense desire to make worship meaningful to the worshiper. pg 11
this warning cautious us against trendiness and the subordination of eternal truth to the seductive claims of a particular cultural context. or the uncritical acceptance of all that has preceded. and slip into equating what is true with what is unchanging. ... My hope is that this analysis will point the way toward a greater coherence in Presbyterian worship, as well as greater freedom from strictures that may more accurately be viewed as culturally conditioned and not as divinely commanded. pg 19,20
chapter 2: deja vu all over again
parallel between 16thC/17thC and our times.
the larger context of the westminster assembly's work is the reaction to the RC and the attempt to recapture the purity of the early church by removing the doctrinal and practical developments of medieval RC Church. pg 23
assembly's stated goal to achieve a religious consensus between Ireland, Scotland and England
the confessional basis of the RPW:
wcf 1.6 1-all worship is either based directly on scripture or is logically deducible from Scripture. 2-there are circumstances common to any human society that are not subject to explicit commands, but rather to general conformity to the Word and reasonableness. p26
2b-legitimate options within the category of circumstance must also be in accord with social decorum and custom. pg29
there is still a problem. to be specific, where and how does one draw the line between that which is circumstantial to worship and that which is an element of worship? pg30
perhaps a better way of distinguishing beween what is commanded and what is circumstantial is to differentiate between what is essential and what is nonessential in worship. pg 31
how to define circumstance: 1-no substantial part of worship, no sacred and significant ceremony 2-not connected to a a sacred act 3-subject to the will of the church for which an evident reason exists for their use--G.Gillespie pg 31
wcf 20.2 1- God alone has authoritatively addressed the human conscience only in his law, the only perfect revelation of which in this world in the inspired Scriptures. 2-two kinds of rules no authority to legislate a-contrary to Scripture b-in addition to scripture in matters of faith and worship. pg 33
adiaphora-things indifferent, the church does not have the authority to impose innovations in worship.
wcf 21.1-6 1-worship God according to his commands, all else is the sin of idolatry. pg 36 what is substantial to worship vs what is incidental. will-worship is prohibited.
chapter 3: the puritan via media
Although the Directory may properly be described as a compromise document, this description is primarily in terms of what is not required or not forbidden, rather than in terms of what is explicitly required or forbidden...what is clearly required is nothing other than a consistent insistence on the divine prerogative in worship. ... the Directory at times chose to remain silent over certain issues that were sensitvie to the variousparties in ordr to achieve a broader acceptance. pg 42
elements of the compromise: party views from Erastian to Independent Puritan to jure divino Presbyterian. between the High Church elements and the free church. between radical Independents, conservative Scots( who used a service book) and English Presbyterians (who might have a high regard for the Prayer Book). is is a significant development in terms of both freedom from coercion and freedom from liturgical conformity. pg 44,45
there was a compromise with regards to prayer, over particular forms of worship called novations, but most importantly over the frequency of Communion. pg 45,46
as a compromise document it represents a via media, this catholicity is both a strength and weakness of the Directory, for it accommodates but in doing so confuses the already ambiguous distinction between essential and circumstantial aspects of worship. pg 47
what is adiaphora, what is its relationship to the elements of worship, and to the task of delineating between essential and circumstantial issues of worship. pg49
the source of the problem: must encompass historical practice, could not press RPW to it's logical conclusions, and provide a basis for unity. pg50
chapter 4: regulating with calvin
man must learn to serve God against his own nature-quote from T.Torrance
the word must lead us because of our own sin and our propensity to idolatry.
god is please with our odedience to his commands. pg 56
acceptable worship is conformed to the word of god and not the product of human invention pg 57
two of Calvin's biblical interpretation principles: analogy of faith(difficult passages in light of clearer texts) and contextualization(circumstances and occasion of the text are important) pg 59
the bible to be interpretated in its entire covenantal context, the author's intent, theological context pg 61
adiaphora: ceremonial, ethical, doctrinal, consider all in context of Christian liberty and charity pg 63
the church can speak to the issues of the day with: 1- according to love 2-not in addition to God's law 3-intended for a particular need, time 4-not a human innovation 5: common peace and concord a-modest and gravity b-lead us to Christ c-remove confusion lead to discipline and peace pg 67
general rules: 1-God has spoken 2-not in exact detail so church must rely on general principles 3-sensitivity; 1-minimum rules 2-no superstitous ceremonies 3-contextualed to time, place, needs of the church pg 69
chapter 5: worship, genevan style
the shape of the liturgy from Calvin to Puritans
the frequency of the Lord's Supper issues
kneeling, type of bread, color of wine pg 77
for calvin contra the Puritans: godparents, ministerial garb, observance of days, confirmation, certain forms of worship pg 79-84
exclusive psalmody
for the anglican the adiaphora are broad, for the puritan rather narrow pg 85
puritan demanding explicit commands for all of worship and desire for relative simplicity
anglican represented the aspect of Calvin's thought that maintained the necessity of covenantal consciousness, a genuine exercise of dominion and creation with the parameters of what God had revealed. pg 86,87 both are discontinuous and continuous with different pieces of Calvin's thinking.
commanded or warranted: the puritans failed to maintain a broad application of adiaphora to circumstances. pg 88
changing "whatever is consistent to Scripture" into "whatever is commanded in Scripture" giving either commanded or unlawful, thus emptying the adiaphora category alltogether. pg 89
chapter 6: thy will be done
1-understanding the nature of Puritan biblical interpretation 2-integrating practices of Jesus concerning the worship of God; to lead to if the stricter Puritan regulative principle is right. pg 92
puritan rationalism, worship is primarily a mental exercise pg 93
tendencies exhibites in the Caresian shift from objective truth to personal truth, from the primacy of revelation to primacy of reason, conductive of the intellectualization of worship pg 93
to puritans appeal to emotions through ceremony and rite was but an appeal to man's carnal nature. pg 93
simplicity as speaking to the heart through the mind pg 94
platonism and stocism's effects on the puritans pg 95
strict literalism as a hermeneutical error. pg 96
failure to grasp organic development of Scripture pg 98
the synagogue, no temple or sacrificial ritual there, however Jesus participated in its worship services pg 99-105
voluntary Jewish feasts: feast of dedication, purim pg 106-110
chapter 7: your reasonable service
RPW is flawed and unworkable pg 111 the leftmost position i've seen yet on the issue
worship is a point of concentration, every act of obedience to God is an act of worship, adiaphora in proximate or ultimate senses, covenantal character of life and worship stemming from it. pg 115
apodictic(commands) casuistic(case law) pg 119
in wisdom the Christian is to learn to think covenantally, responsibly, as a mature believe in the Lord. this is not a license for unbridled freedom however it is a charter for matrue, thoughtful reflection on god's world from God's perspective. pg 120
anglican-puritan split result of: form-freedom, sponteneity- uniformity tension being resolved to the extremes, rather than holding to paradoxes and balance pg 120
van til on ethics: vicegerency, self-realization, individualization, analogical action pg 121-124
worship was never intended to consist in simple conformity to a comprehensive set of guidelines. pg 124
no longer any binding religious obligations since Christ has fulfilled the entire ceremonial law pg 127
the necessity of personal conviction as the basis of action pg 128
both the weak and the strong have obligations to one another: strong not to impose, weak to judge and censure pg 120
chapter 8: in light of the covenant
responsibility, not simple mechanical conformity pg 138
what is consistent with Scripture is acceptable in worship=covenantal principle to replace Puritan RPW pg 140
by refusing to acknowledge the breathe of adiaphora leads to the worship wars over the circumstances pg 141
worship that is simple pg 143
worship in the New Testament is spiritual worship, which has direction and inner coherence pg 143-145
worship that is orderly, mirrors God, associated with man in creation and dominion, consistent with freedom pg 145-146
worship that is free: liberty of conscience, ecclesisatical freedom, accompanied by weighty responsibility pg 146-148
worship that glorifies and edifies: vertical and horizontal elements, first to glorify God, secondly edification of fellow believers but not entertainment, maybe enjoable but not only enjoyable pg 149
worship that is catholic: pg 152
worship that is culturally sensitive pg 153
a pilgrim people that recognize that the forms here on earth are not the final forms pg 154
worship that is balanced: between Word and symbol, between Word and Sacrament, avoid reductionism and materialism, intellectualization or emotionalism pg 156
worship that is Christ-centered:
conclusion:
the dynamics that gave birth to the Puritan principles pg 164
reaffirming the role for the adiaphora pg 164
covenantal faithfulness builds on Puritan model but goes beyond it to big principles pg 165
I ended up liking the book, for several reasons. One is that it is well documented, soundly reasoned and interesting, the other is that it works on issues, in particular the adiaphora that i have run across i the past and wish to understand better. First, what is it about? The big view is that it is a justification for changing the regulative principle of worship into something a bit broader or wider, the covenantal principle of worship, this is chapter 8. everything before it is history and analysis of why this change is a good, necessary, historically sound and above all- a Scriptural thing to do. Second, how to read the book? Skip all the way to the back, like when you first open a detective novel and read the 3 page conclusion, that will tell you "who dun it". Then move forward a few pages and read chapter 8, the heart of the book's recommendation, if you are not turned off and discouraged at this compromise with the evil world, buy the book and read it, twice. Don't take notes or mark it up the first time, this is a read lightly once, then study read again type of book, being the outgrowth of a seminary dissertation does that to a book *grin*. Try to keep your questions and objections to a minimum during this first read, they will interfere greatly with you understanding what the author is saying, it really isn't that radical or worldly or Puritan denying or the end of Presbyterian worship as we know it.
